FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

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Tip of the Day

There is this thing on your steering column, it is called a turn signal.  It is a great little device that is used to let folks know that you will be turning, and which way.  I know it is a new device, but try using it, we will all appreciate it.

Aaron and I had a pretty good day yesterday, and I am hoping for a repeat today.  The wind might be a little higher today, with tomorrow (Friday) slated to be interesting.  But like all good fishermen when it is time to go, it is time to go.  Dan will be arriving here mid morning and we will meet at the lake.  There is always that little bit of nervous anticipation when fishing with someone new, but with the fish biting a little better there is hope for a good day.

Weather

80/62  Sunny.  Wind SE 15 – 25.  0% chance of rain.

Solunar Times

Good  9:36 to 11:36 am.    Best  3:49 to 5:49 pm.

Lake Level

Today  96.46 msl  Yesterday  96.50 msl.  (The slow decline continues.)

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I did not do the numbers for Friday, all you had to do was add was another 15mph wind on top of that forecast and that about covered it.  Thursday morning I went to the lake at 7:30 to check a couple of places before Dan arrived about 11:00.  In 3 places I boated 9, and had another big tilapia jump all over a swim jig.  Both the swim jig and pitching assorted plastics caught fish.  And as far as the plastics, senko style, creatures, and craws all seem to work if you toss it by a good piece of wood.  The thicker the better.

This is what makes spring bass fishing what it is.

Dan is a professional travel writer who is doing the leg work on a story for next year, the leg work being fishing.  The premise is his quest to catch a Share a Lunker, which now includes a certificate for a fish over 8lbs.  He is not a “bass fisherman” by any means, so the point of fishing with me was to learn some basics.  He is a fly fisherman, has fished plenty of salt, and is one of the Austin Boys.  So he is by no means is a rookie fisherman.

To make a long story short Thursday was a learning process.  Pitching would seem elementary, but of course like all techniques takes a little work.  Same with the swim jig. Before it was over he caught maybe 4 small ones the first day but did miss a good one on a spinnerbait.  The wind was not helping matters by any stretch, and would only get worse today.  Surprisingly though we tried spinnerbait off and on we might have added 3 to the total, they just are not on it.  But he soldiered on in spite of slow fishing for good ones.  Both days it was 2 here, 3 there, and before day one was over it was 15 small ones, then approximately 20 today.  We just could not stick a good one until I pulled it out.

My tilapia mastery continues it smacked the swim jig.  And you have to wade through a bunch of these to get one like the one above.

I picked him up at the motel Friday morning before daylight so we could get on the water.  The professional photographer tagged along and off we went.  The first tree I caught a small one, and from then on it was back to one here and one there.  Dan started catching some, learning how to really set the hook, but most important, the “feel’.  My old buddy John Storey, the owner of Champion Boats, maintained that it all comes down to “feel”, with the wind and as light as they were biting it was a little tricky.  I would say maybe 3/4 of the fish I am catching right now are not “hitting” it.  They are just there or the line starts moving sideways.  It was actually a good thing as he had enough bites to really learn a thing or two which should help with his quest.  Unfortunately we both broke one off today.  But you never know, mine jumped and tried to throw the swim jig, and it was maybe 2lbs.  A reminder when pitching trash, retie, it doesn’t cost nuttin’.

Today I finally put a 4 in the boat around noon on a swim jig, which told me a couple of things.  First, there are definitely fish who have not spawned and are not in the coves, she was a fattie with a belly full of eggs.  Second, they are around wood in some of the coves, but falling water is not helping things as the lake declines.  (And a reminder, the tilapia are spawning big time so if you want to bow shoot a few have it.  The back of any cove will do.)   After catching the better one we tried pitching another big cove, caught a couple of smalls, but it was just not happening like it should.  At this point the wind was hauling ass with the lake white capping as clouds moved in.  It just said big fish time.

So I decided to run back up lake to where we started, occasionally I actually make a good call.  The wind was blowing hard right down the pike.  We caught a couple smalls, it was tough fishing the swim jig with a 20 mph cross wind.  In fact, one of them hit the swim jig right by the boat and when I set the hook it landed on Dan, which gives you clue how small that one was.  And then a real one jumped on my white swim jig.  It was an awesome bite, a great fight, and after some CPR she was on her way.  And at that point with 30 mph winds we called it a successful day.

This is the one above and Dan.  Say hi Dan.

I can’t wait to see the story next year, and I hope that he learned something.  Will he be successful?  We shall see.  But he has another lake or two coming with someone who has a clue so you never know.  But I know one thing, breaking a real 8lbs is not something that happens all the time and is a righteous quest.  While this one did not make the 8 it was a nice big spawned out fish who would have made the grade, and she was proof it can happen.  And for me personally, it was my third big fish this week, and I would have not been happy if we did not boat at least one big fish while he was here.

It really is a good day when you spend it with a good guy.  He wanted to learn, and he did not give up.  He also listened, and if you have spent the day in the boat with me I have been know to talk some.  And who knows, one of the ones he missed just might have been a big one.  So while it was a grind, a big girl like that takes all the grind away.  A good couple of days.

Other than heading to the Texas Mile tomorrow to see some hot cars run there is no specific fishing plan on what or where is next.  And of course washing the boat, new line on a few reels, reorganizing the mess from the last 3 days, all with the sole purpose to get back on the water in a day or two.  Just maybe we will even shoot a few tilapia Sunday morning.  And there are definitely some trout in the bay that need catching.  I love this time of year, so many fish, so little time.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines